Attachment for forks and the like.



C E. BANKS. ATTACHMENT FOR FORKS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, I916- Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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ATTACHMENT FOR FORKS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 19116.

Application filed May 16, 1916. Seria1 No. 97,912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. BANKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachmentsfor Forks and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to culinary articles and table forks, and theprimary object of the same is to provide a cleaning attachment for forkswhereby substances adhering to forks may be readily removed or scrapedoff, the attachment being of such form that it may be readily applied toforks of difierent types without requiring a special construction orpreliminary preparation thereof to receive the attachment.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of theseveral parts which will be more fully hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fork showing theimproved at; tachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of a fork and the improved attachment showing the operation ofthe latter in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section onthe line 33, Fig. 2.

The fork as usual comprises a blade 5 with tines 6 and a handle 7. Theattachment comprises an elongated attaching member or handle engagingclip 8 with an angularly bent terminal 9 having anopenin g 10 andforming a guide foot for a curved rod or shank 11 freely slidablethrough the opening 10. The rear end of the rod or shank 11 has a stophead 12 of any preferred form, but as shown consists of a nut andwashers, and on the opposite end of said rod or shank a scraper orcleaner 13 is fixed and has an elongated slot 14: through which extendthe fork tines 6. The scraper or cleaner 13 is disposed transverselywith relation to the fork tines and the slot 14 is located near thelower edge of the scraper or cleaner to provide a rather broad pushingsurface above the fork tines. Between the stop head 12 and the angularterminal or guide foot 9 a spring 15 loosely surrounds the curved rod orshank 11 and operates to cushion the scraper or cleaner 18 in its actionand to retract the same to normal position when pressure is relievedfrom the head 12.

The improved attachment is preferably formed of metal as an entirety,and the attaching member or clip 8 is shaped or cut from bendable sheetmetal of such thickness and stiffness as to positively retain itsengagement with the fork handle when the attachment is applied to thefork. The member or clip 8 is shaped to fit the handle 7 of the fork andhas side embracing members or tongues 16 and an end abutment flange 17,the members or tongues 16 being bent around a portion of the fork handle7 as clearly shown by Fig. 8, and the flange 17 bent at an angle overthe rear end of the fork handle, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. By means ofthe tongues 16 and flange 17 the clip 8 is prevented from slipping outof place when applied and the attachment as a whole is thereby heldagainst displacement from a normal operating position.

The operation of the attachment is as follows: When the fork tines 6 areinserted in any substance or article of food the cleaner or scraper 13is forced back on the tines in proportion to the penetration of thelatter, and the substance or article of food lifted by the fork may besubsequently released and cleared relatively to the fork tines bypressing forwardly on the head 12 and moving the rod or shank 11together with cleaner or scraper 13 outwardly, and at the same time thecleaner or scraper 13 will remove any substance clinging to the tines.The cleaner or scraper 13 is cushioned when reaching a point at or nearits maximum outward movement by the spring 15, and when pressure isrelieved from the head 12 the said spring forces the cleaner or scraper13 and rod or shank 11 rearwardly to normal position.

The parts of the improved attachment may be varied in size and shape toaccommodate the same to different forms of fork handles and tineswithout departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is alsoproposed to plate or otherwise ornament the several parts of theattachment.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an ordinary fork having tines and a handle, of aclearing and cleaning attachment removably applied thereto andcomprising a clip fitted over and embracing the greater portion of thehandle and having an angular guide projecting up- .wardly at the frontend thereof adjacent to the tines and provided with an opening is i forkhandle andaeurved shank freely movable through said guide 'and having a'therethrough, and asliank movably mounted and shiftable in'said guide,the shank carrying a scraper movablyextendingacross and looselvengagingthe tines, the handle t 7 engaging fclip carryingiall of the parts ofthe attachment; 7 j r 2fThe'co1'nbination with an ordinary fork havingtines and a handle, of a clearing and cleaning attachment removablyapplied thereto andcomprising a clip fitted over and embracing thegreater portion of the I 'handle and having an angular .guide'projecting cup vardly at the front end thereofv adjacent to the tines,therear end of the clip having alfiangeengaging the end; of the scraperat the forward; end provided'with a slot near its lower edge andextending 1 across the-t1nes,the tines pro ect1ng through the slot ofthescraper -the rear end of the bet shank havinga pressure head. 7 i e' 8.The combination With an ordlnary fork having tines and a handle, -of aclearing and'cleani'ng attachment removably applied thereto andcomprising a clip fitted over and'embracingthe greater portion of thehandle andhaving an'angular guide at the end thereof adjacent to thetines, the rear end of the clip having aflange engaging the 7 endthe-fork hand1e, a curved shank V i Copies .of this. patent may beobtained for freely movable through said guide and having a scraper atthe forward end provided With a slot near its lower edge and extendingacross the tines, the tines projecting through'the slot of the scraper,the rear end of the shank having a pressure head, and a spring engagingthe shank between the said guide and pressure head.

4:. A clearing and cleaning attachment for forks comprlslng an attachlngmember formed of bendable sheet metal and shaped to embrace the handleof an ordinary fork and embodying s1de tongues, an end abutment flangefor engaging the end of the fork handle, and an angularly bent frontternesses.

' CHARLES E. BANKS.

. Witnesses:

EMMA TAYLOR,

MARGARET HUNTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,D. C.

